¹Be not envious of evil men,

nor desire to be with them,

²for their heart devises violence,

and their lips talk of trouble.

³By wisdom a house is built,[#Pr 9:1; 14:1]

and by understanding it is established;

⁴by knowledge the rooms are filled

with all precious and pleasant riches.

⁵A wise man is strong,

and a man of knowledge increases strength,

⁶for by wise counsel will you wage your war,

and in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

⁷Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;[#Ps 10:5; Pr 14:6]

he opens not his mouth in the gate.

⁸He who plans to do evil

will be called a master of schemes.

⁹The devising of folly is sin,

and the mocker is an abomination to men.

¹⁰If you faint in the day of adversity,

your strength is small.

¹¹Deliver those who are drawn away toward death;

hold back those stumbling toward slaughter.

¹²If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”

does not He who weighs the heart consider it?

Does not He who keeps your soul know it?

Will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

¹³My son, eat honey, for it is good,

and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste.

¹⁴So will the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;

if you find it, there will be a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁵Lay not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;

plunder not his resting place,

¹⁶for a righteous man falls seven times and rises again,[#Job 5:19; Ps 37:24]

but the wicked are overthrown in evil.

¹⁷Rejoice not when your enemy falls,

and let not your heart be joyful when he stumbles,

¹⁸lest the Lord see it, and it is evil in His eyes,

and He turn away His wrath from him.

¹⁹Fret not because of evildoers,

nor be envious of the wicked,

²⁰for there will be no future for the evil man;

the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

²¹My son, fear the Lord and the king,[#Ro 13:1–7]

and do not associate with those given to change,

²²for their calamity will rise suddenly,

and who knows the ruin those two can bring?

More Sayings of the Wise

²³These also are sayings of the wise:

It is not good to show partiality in judgment.

²⁴He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”[#Pr 17:15]

him will the people curse; nations will detest him,

²⁵but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,[#Pr 28:23]

and a good blessing will come upon them.

²⁶He who gives an answer that is right

gives a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Set in order your outside work,

make it ready for yourself in the field,

and afterwards build your house.

²⁸Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause,

and deceive not with your lips.

²⁹Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;

I will render to the man according to his deed.”

³⁰I passed by the field of the sluggard,

and went past the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding,

³¹and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns,

and nettles had covered its surface,

and its stone wall was broken down.

³²Then I saw and considered it well in my heart;

I looked on it and received instruction.

³³A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest;

³⁴so shall your poverty come like a prowler,

and your want like an armed man.